MXL V67 vs. crappy Shure SM48?

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bradsucks

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I own both of these microphones. I bought them when I knew absolutely nothing about recording (I know only slightly more now). I'm running them both through my Mackie 1202 VLZ and am monitoring on Event 20/20bas monitors.

When I record my voice using them, I swear I prefer the sound of my cheap Shure SM48 over the vastly more expensive and critically acclaimed MXL V67.

The V67 sounds a bit fuller but at the same time kind of muddier and it's harder getting it to sit in a mix properly.

Is this possible or am I just crazy? Maybe my voice is naturally muddy or something.
 
nope, you are probably right to some extent.

the shure sm48 is a very forgiving mic, tailor made for vocals.

what you may be experiencing with the MXL mic are problems with the way you are singing into it, direction, distance, pop filtered, etc. with a more full range mic like the MXL you will have a greater need to compress the vocals well as well.

in short, it is not really a worse mic, but is more difficult to record with.
 
Welcome to the club.

I sound better on a Shure SM57 than the current model of AKG 414. Try a SM57 if you get a chance. It'll be clearer sounding
than your SM48, just like it's over the SM58.
Just make sure to use a pop screen.

If you have access to a parametric equalizer, try cutting a few
dB @ 200 Hz, with a "Q" (bandwidth) of between .7 and 1.0
to help take out the mud on the V67.
Backing off the mike is the first step though to lessen the
proximity effect in that frequency region.

Powerful vocalists tend to have this issue as they tend to have
more "body"/low mids to their voice, so this may be a blessing in disguise BTW.

Chris
 
Could be your preamps. They respond differently with different mics. I use an NTK and a V67 through a Voicemaster Pro. The V67 wins everytime. Switch both mics over to my DMP3 and the NTK wins everytime.

Could be the Shure just matches better with the Mackie.
 
bradsucks said:
When I record my voice using them, I swear I prefer the sound of my cheap Shure SM48 over the vastly more expensive and critically acclaimed MXL V67.
Click to expand...


I prefer just about anything to the v67. And there's nothing wrong with a 48 -- it's basically the same thing as the sm57 and/or 58; only with a slightly lower output and a little less bass response.

The V67 sounds a bit fuller but at the same time kind of muddier and it's harder getting it to sit in a mix properly.
Click to expand...


That's exactly my experience with it. You couldn't have stated it better.

Is this possible or am I just crazy? Maybe my voice is naturally muddy or something.
Click to expand...

No, you're not crazy. Just observant. It could partially be your voice, but for the most part, the v67 is an over-rated mic.
 
What's the difference between the MXLV67 and V67G?
Most people when they rave about these usually type V67G.
 
The Shure's don't load as well with the Mackie as a condenser microphone
will, so it's probably the microphone (V67). If anything, the V67 has an
unfair advantage in the preamp side of the equation compared to the
SM48.

Chris
 
morindae said:
What's the difference between the MXLV67 and V67G?
Most people when they rave about these usually type V67G.
Click to expand...

they are all the same mic, different colors only....
 
Fantastic, thank you all for the helpful replies. It's good to know that this isn't a clear indication that I'm crazy. I will probably experiment more with the V67 when I have time to fuss around with it.

I apologize if this is a frequently asked question but I can't seem to find it anywhere in this forum. What with already owning an sm48, would it be worth getting an sm57 or 58? And what's the difference between those two models? (ie. which one's better)

Thanks!
 
I, and some folks with impeccable ears (look for Harvey Gerst) find the V67 to be a very nice vocal mic. I don't think it is overrated at all. It works quite well and has a place in my studio. I used this mic last week for a female duo and it produced superb results. I am doing another female vocalist session tonight and will probably use this or the V69Tube. Your preamp can make a big difference in the sound you achieve as well as the recording medium you are using. The sm57 has been used in the studio in the past by some pretty heavy hitters with good results. I suspect this will really date me, but I seem to recall that the lead singer, Paul Rodgers, from "Bad Company" ( a seventies rock act) use to use a 57 on his album tracks with sterling results. The 57 is a dependable, multi-use mic which I use in the studio for micing instruments and live for micing amps. Microphones are flavored, sorta like ice cream... some folks just don't like a particular flavor, while other rave about it. Different flavors are good! The best of luck with your recordings.
God Bless,
Steve Stallings
Brazos Audio
 
Originally posted by Gidge
they are all the same mic, different colors only....
Click to expand...

I had a feeling I would get that answer. So the 'G' version, which I am assuming stands for gold, isn't a better microphone. One gets the impression that gold is used on the ribbon, and must somehow improve the quality of the mic. Is this just a sneaky way to charge more?
 
The "G" stands for green. While merchants may charge more for the green one, I believe that the list is the same on all three of the V67 mics.

BTW... there is no "ribbon" in this mic. The diaphragm is gold sputtered and the screen housing is gold plated. The mic is quite visually stunning.
 
morindae said:
I had a feeling I would get that answer. So the 'G' version, which I am assuming stands for gold, isn't a better microphone. One gets the impression that gold is used on the ribbon, and must somehow improve the quality of the mic. Is this just a sneaky way to charge more?
Click to expand...

The colours were all the same price when I bought mine. I have the green/gold one. In my opinion it is very, very ugly.

On the side of the box it says: "Available in Three Classic Colors - Black, Gold/Green, Silver".

And the cover of the box has the black V67 model pictured.
 
originally posted by SteveE9C6

BTW... there is no "ribbon" in this mic. The diaphragm is gold sputtered and the screen housing is gold plated. The mic is quite visually stunning.
Click to expand...

Yeah, I know there's no ribbon. I just could't think of the word for whatever resonating device they put in condenser microphones. Ribbon seemed the next best thing....it's early in the day for me.
So what you are saying is that we are paying more money for aesthetics. The gold sputtered diaphragm is no better than one that isn't sputtered.
 
The colours were all the same price when I bought mine. I have the green/gold one. In my opinion it is very, very ugly.
Click to expand...


Well geez! Why didn't you just get the other color then? ;)

I guess this just shows that the phrase "different strokes for different folks" is a pretty accurate statement... I really like the way it looks as it is pretty much a copy of a AKG C12 cosmetically.


Brazos Audio
 
Bradsucks, many retailers are charging $20 more for the v67 G. I wondered about the colors myself when I bought the mic. Especially as it says v67 on the box, and on the mic itself. I figured the 'G' meant gold and that it would be a slightly better mic. I don't mind the colors myself, especially as I am of Irish extraction. They remind me of the Irish flag.
 
So what you are saying is that we are paying more money for aesthetics. The gold sputtered diaphragm is no better than one that isn't sputtered
Click to expand...


No, I didn't say that... All of the diaphragms on the three different mics are identical. The list prices are identical for the three versions. You are paying more because of the law of supply and demand. The dealers realize that the V67G is more in demand for some reason and set their price higher than the slower moving Black or Silver models which are identical with the exception of the color.
This seems to be a pretty common practice in all areas of commerce...not just audio electronics.
 
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